"Sato Experimental Sciences, Security Log 20-f-Hg:

Patient 24602a unaccounted for as of twenty hours seventeen minutes. Subdermal tracking device activated, no response. Teams report probable expiration of Patient 24602a due to desert environment around Sato Experimental Sciences facility.

All Security Teams on A-Floor have expired from their injuries received from trying to subdue Patient 24602a.

Requesting assistance in search for Patient 24602a."

-S.E.S Security Log, report filed fifteen years after the death of Avatar Korra.

"This is the most uncomfortable thing," my twin sister says from inside my ear. "That I have ever worn in my entire life."

"Get used to it." I tell her. I look at the video feed displayed in front of my eyes and avoid tripping up a flight of steps. My shoes clack loudly on the obsidian. "At least I turned off your three-sixty view."

"How the hell do you even walk without getting motion sick?" Iulia's voice buzzes inside my ear. "If I had to see behind me all the time, I would fill my helmet with vomit."

I look to one side of my vision and see the rest of the procession behind me. Cathra, Terumi, Master Marcian, Admiral Sozin, and at least fifteen Royal Firebenders make up our miniature-parade. "Just keep moving forward and looking official, Iul. It's not hard."

"I feel like if I blink at the wrong time I'm going to end up calling a sushi bar." Iulia mutters.

I sigh. "Just remember: two blinks to switch to our helmet frequencies, three blinks to switch to regular speaking mode."

"And four blinks to self destruct."

"And four blinks to self destruct." I repeat solemnly.

"No pressure." Iulia curses under her breath.

Iulia has to wear a helmet because officially, her and I never were given permission to come to the Fire Nation. Even though Master Marcian allowed us to come with her, she sheepishly told us before we docked that we would have to wear Guardian armor while in public. Iulia had brought her armor, just in case, but she has only worn the armor plates once. Never the helmet.

I look around the three hundred and sixty degree field of vision my helmet sensors provide. The Fire Nation Capitol is a crimson and gold display of wealth. Everywhere I look, large buildings with red roofing dominate the landscape. Fire Nation banners are hanging from every windowsill and proudly flap in the wind at every street corner.

Some people stop to stare and point at our procession. Three Royal Firebenders lead the way in front of us and do a great job at yelling at people to get out of our way. I'm surprised they didn't pick us up in a car from the docks, but I'm more surprised that the Fire Lord failed to send a royal palanquin to transport his daughter.

I look down at the obsidian street. It twinkles ominously in the morning sun. I wonder how long it took to gather up enough of the volcanic glass, and how expensive it was to place throughout the Caldera city. It is an obvious show of wealth, but I fail to see the efficiency in paving the streets with it. Maybe it makes the Fire Lord feel good.

Maybe, I smile to myself, he's compensating.

Before I can tell Iulia the joke, I see a fast black blur leap from one of the rooftops. I watch it, disinterestedly, wondering just how many secret guards the Fire Lord has observing us. I remember Master Antonius telling me once how Fire Lord Ursan inherited his paranoia from his great-grandfather, Fire Lord Ozai. I wonder if Cathra is paranoid like her father.

I look at the portion of my visual display that shows what is behind me. I look at Cathra, who seems to be intently looking up and down my back. She seems to have serious mood-swings. One moment she is madly head-over-heels obsessed with me, the next she won't even talk to me, and now she seems to be starting the cycle all over again. I wish she would make up her mind.

We walk for a few more minutes in silence. We seem to be moving uphill towards the Royal Palace that has loomed over us since we entered the Caldera. The tallest tower of the Palace is completely illuminated by the rising sun. It sparkles gold and red as though from a fantasy story.

It is nowhere near as impressive as the Regia, let alone Elysium. That is probably because the Fire Nation does not know what they are competing with under the surface of the world.

We stop at a large gate that leads to the palace grounds. Two dark robed men step away from their posts. They wear domed hats that obscure their eyes. The robes are so long they scrape the ground and the arms are large enough for the men to keep their hands hidden from sight.

"Ael," Iulia says through our helmet channel. "Those are Dai Li." She seems surprised at the presence of these people. I do not even know what a "Dai Li" is, so it does not matter to me.

"I've seen more impressive jugglers." I tell her before blinking to change my helmet from secure communications to allow my words to leave my helmet.

Before I can, I see Cathra speak up from behind me. "Why are you stopping us? Can't you see who I am?" She snaps at the two robed men.

The two robed guards (if that is what they are) bow. "Our apologize, Princess." The one on the right says. His voice is emotionless. "We have orders to request the identification of everyone who wishes to enter the Palace."

Cathra takes a few steps forward. "I am Princess Cathra of the Fire Nation. That's all the identification you need. Now open the gate."

After a few moments of silence, the two guards bow at the waist. "Of course, Princess." They say simultaneously. With hurried steps, they move to opposite sides of the large metal gate.

Then, with clenched fists, they twist their arms in front of them, and the gate splits in two halves. As the gates open and we pass through, I switch back over to the helmet channel.

"Why does the Fire Lord have Metalbenders guarding his palace?" I ask my sister.

"Dai Li are the best Earthbenders in the entire world." She tells me. "They also used to be in charge of Bah Sing Sae, until the end of the Hundred Year War, and then they served the Earth Kings and Queen until the Earth Queen Hou-ting was assassinated about seventy years ago. Then they helped the young Earth King Taishua gain control of the chaotic city-"

"Iulia." I interrupt.

"Ya?" She asks.

"Short version, please." I beg my scholarly sister.

"They're the special forces of the Earth Kingdom." Iulia sighs. "A group swears service to the Royal Family because of a tradition started by Princess Azula. They're arguably even better than the Royal Firebenders." My sister sighs again. "Is that short enough for you?

I smile inside my helmet as we approach the largest door I have ever seen in my entire life. "Yep." I watch as six servants pull the door open with large golden chains. "Thanks."

It takes about twenty seconds for the door to open all the way. The Royal Firebenders leading us bring us into the largest hallway I have ever seen in my life. Large crimson columns support a massive ceiling, and every one of them has red banners flying from the tops. Large fire pits crackle from in-between the columns, and servants and government officials are weaving in and out of the firelight. In a way, it reminds me of the chaos of the Regia's main halls.

I look in my rear display to see everyone else, excluding Cathra and Master Marcian, just as awestruck as I am. Admiral Sozin smiles as he looks around. "Just like I remembered it!" He says.

Terumi looks at him. "When was the last time you were here?"

The Admiral scratches his balding head. "Well, probably…" he hums as he counts on his fingers. "Twenty years!" He cries exuberantly.

I snap my attention back to my front view, and see a red-garbed servant approaching us. She prostrates herself in front of our group. "Princess Cathra," she says from the floor. "Welcome home."

Cathra steps forward. "Thank you." She says plainly. "Have the bags moved to the rooms of the Royal Villa."

"Yes, Princess." The servant says. "Fire Lord Ursan-"

Cathra cuts her off as she walks past the kneeling woman. "Is expecting us. I figured."

Iulia and I trade helmet-covered glances. We follow behind Cathra and go across the hallway to a large crimson metal door. The Royal Firebenders that accompanied our group take up positions to both sides of the door and stand at attention.

We stop in front of the door. Cathra turns around to look at our little procession. We seem to be grabbing a lot of attention from everyone in the Palace Hall. Some people point and stare, others whisper to those around them, and a few look at Terumi's blue clothes and brown hair with open distain.

Master Marcian speaks up from near the back. "And this, m'dear, is where I leave you." She starts walking away without another word.

Cathra watches her go. "About time." She mutters under her breath. Then she looks to Iulia and I. "You two will need to take off your helmets. The rest of the armor is fine, but no one can wear a mask in the Fire Lord's presence."

Iulia takes her helmet off with admirable speed. I, with more finesse, run a finger up the back of the helmet. It splits in two pieces, and I clip the neck portion to my belt. Iulia does the same, and we both make our hair look presentable. Iulia lets hers fail to both sides of her head, and I make sure all of mine is flat.

After a few moments of silence, Cathra turns around and faces the metal door. She snaps her fingers royally, and two Royal Firebenders hurry to open the door for us.

"Now that," Terumi says as the door is opening, "Is service."

Admiral Sozin puts a single finger up to his mouth and shushes the Waterbender.

The door opens to another long hallway almost identical to the one we were just in. This one, however, has a lower ceiling, and the only light in the room comes from a long line of fire running in front of the back wall.

As Cathra leads us forward, I begin to see the outlines of a man sitting behind the fire on top of a raised golden platform. His golden topknot-crown twinkles impressively in the firelight.

Cathra prostrates herself a few yards away from the line of fire. Iulia and I follow her lead, and I hear a rustling of fabric and assume that Admiral Sozin and Terumi showed their deference as well.

"Fire Lord Ursan." Cathra says in a royal voice. "I come at your bidding." Her voice echoes throughout the columned room, and it mixes with the sound of the crackling flames.

"Welcome back, my daughter." The shadow behind the flames says in a smooth voice. "I see you have brought friends." The flames rise up higher for a split second, but then return to their original size. I feel the heat against my scalp, and I realize just how strong the flames really are. "Introduce them."

Cathra does not skip a beat. "I present Aelius and Iulia of Clan Impera, both the twin children of the Energybending Master Antonius. I also present Admiral Sozin of the Fire Nation, with his assistant Terumi, a Waterbender from Republic City."

The fire grows stronger again. "You bring a Waterbender into the presence of the Fire Lord." The man behind the flames hisses like a serpent. "You keep strange company, my child."

I look up to see the shadow move through the flames and come to stand a few feet away from Cathra. The crimson and gold robed shadow looks down at the prostrate Princess. "But I'm sure you have a good reason." The voice says, now sounding like a very happy man. "Rise, my child."

Cathra rises slowly to her feet. The second her head reaches the shadow's chin the shadow embraces her in a right hug. "And welcome home!" The Fire Lord says cheerfully.

My eyebrow rises of its own accord, and for lack of anything better to do, I return my forehead to the floor. Crazy Firebenders.